Kota Kinabalu: Sepanggar MP Datuk Jumat Idris said his outburst on the Mayor recently was nothing personal but due to Sepanggar Barisan Nasional's delivery system being affected by an officer who is monopolising authority.He claimed that Datuk Abidin Madingkir had stopped delegating powers to other City Hall officers, resulting in hiccups in the delivery system in the constituency.
"Now everything had to go through the Mayor, even trading licences.
Unlike before when some responsibilities were given to the Director General.
"The delay in dishing out development projects happened because everything needs to be referred to and approved by him," he said, Thursday.
Jumat, who is Umno Sepanggar Chief, also alleged that the Mayor "actually wanted to give the contract to an opposition agent although I applied for the allocation from the Prime Minister."
"Imagine last year's allocation needed almost one year to be implemented (but) the BN government (is supposed to be) people first," he said. Jumat had earlier expressed regret that the Mayor's term was extended recently and had accused him of being an "opposition agent".
Jumat said it was also wrong for Luyang Assemblyman Hiew King Cheu to say that the Mayor was only following orders from the higher-ups or the Chief Minister's Department, which is overseeing City Hall.
"The issue I am raising is about allocation from the Implementation and Coordination Unit under the Prime Minister's Department that was channelled through KK City Hall," he said.
"The Chief Minister is very competent and successfully spurred economic growth but City Hall remains at the old level because it has a weak department head," he said.
On Hiew's suggestion that he should apologise to the Mayor, Jumat said it was not necessary as he was only talking about one senior officer and not City Hall as a whole.
"It is normal for a government party leader to shoot at any one who betrays the trust of people. Hiew has been sleeping not knowing I've done a lot to Sepanggar voters long before I became MP. That is why I can stop DAP from winning in Sepanggar.
"Hiew is a representative for an urban area of mostly Chinese but Sepanggar is a sub-urban area and most of its people are Bumiputeras who need government service," he said.
